


Scenes from a Courtship

by cherryvanilla



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Ficlet, First Date, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-05
Updated: 2011-12-05
Packaged: 2017-10-26 22:38:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/288659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryvanilla/pseuds/cherryvanilla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On their first date, someone tries to shoot Eames through the restaurant window.</p><p>Written April 2011.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scenes from a Courtship

**Author's Note:**

> Written for bookshop's twitter assignment: do they have a first date?

On their first date, someone tries to shoot Eames through the restaurant window. The bullet ricochets off the tray their food has just arrived on and shatters the water pitcher at one of the waiter stations. Eames folds his napkin and sighs, “check please,” before grabbing Arthur’s hand and heading out the back through the kitchen. They race through the back alley like children running through a carnival. At one point Arthur pushes him up against a dirty brick wall, stifling Eames’ cry that he, “actually wore a fitted suit for this, love” with his mouth, kissing him until they’re both breathless and the reason for Arthur’s flush is no longer their fast escape. Eames shoots him a grin and then climbs a fire escape. Soon they’re jumping over rooftops, the other side of the city left in their wake.

Arthur’s never had a better first date.

___________________________________________

At the end of the night, Eames simply walks Arthur to his apartment and pauses at the door, fingering his collar before leaning in and kissing him long and slow with just a hint of tongue. Arthur's breathless just from that, just from the pads of Eames' fingers lightly brushing against the base of his throat. He croaks out, "do you want to come up?"

Eames just shakes his head slowly and asks "When can I see you again?"

And Arthur knows it's a ridiculous thing to say; they're working a job right now and the men tonight were from Eames' _last_ job and they'll be seeing each other in a matter of hours… but then it clicks in his head and his heart swells in his chest as he says, "Do you wanna see a movie tomorrow night?"

The only shooting during that date is on the screen.

_________________________________-

Before the shooting on the screen, before their fingers get tangled in the popcorn and Eames puts his hand on Arthur’s knee, his palm warm and heavy, they have a job to do. Eames is practically giddy and Arthur can’t hide a smile from gracing his face at the most inopportune times. Cobb squints at them both suspiciously, and then corners Yusuf asking if he’s experimenting with compounds again. Ariadne pulls him to the side, but not out of the room, because she wouldn’t be Ariadne if she did that and whispers harshly, “what happened??” Arthur smiles into his coffee cop and scratches at the back of his neck. “He didn’t want to come up.” When he looks up at her his smile is sheepish and she gapes, blinking comically.

Ariadne just raises her eyebrows and looks back to Eames who is turned away from Arthur, staring down at the notes in his hand. Arthur knows beyond a doubt he's trying very hard to listen. Ariadne turns back to him and nods slowly. "And youuu'rree…. happy about this?" It’s less of a question, more of a statement.

Arthur looks at Eames again, at the twitch of his hands against the paper and says, "Yes. Ecstatic."  
Arthur sees the exact moment Eames’ lips transform into a smile and when they have a break later on, allows himself to be dragged away to the backroom of the warehouse for some pre-game making out.


End file.
